 | Elvis PresleyA Retrospective: 1953-1959 |
Compilations:This page focuses on compilations covering Elvis Presley’s output in the 1950s. Check the Retrospective: 1954-1977 page for a full career overview which includes Elvis Presley links within and outside of this website, a list of his significant awards,
Studio Albums:These are the Elvis Presley studio albums covered on this page.
|
The Sun Sessions (archives)Elvis Presley |
|
Recorded: August 1953 to October 1955 Released: September 6, 1975 Peak: 76 US, 16 UK, 12 DF Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Genre: early rock and roll Rating:  4.504 out of 5.00 (average of 25 ratings)
|
Tracks:
About the Album: This archival collection gathered Elvis’ material that he recorded with Sun Records from 1953 to 1955 before he signed with RCA. Read more on the DMDB page for this album.
|
Elvis Presley (aka “Rock ‘N’ Roll”)Elvis Presley |
|
Released: March 23, 1956 Peak: 110 US, 11 UK Sales (in millions): 0.5 US Genre: early rock and roll Rating: 4.320 out of 5.00 (average of 20 ratings)
|
Tracks (original U.S. release):
Bonus tracks added to reissues:
About the Album: Read more on the DMDB page for this album.
|
ElvisElvis Presley |
|
Released: October 19, 1956 Peak: 15 US, 3 UK Sales (in millions): 0.5 US Genre: early rock and roll Rating:  3.803 out of 5.00 (average of 17 ratings)
|
|
Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
|
Tracks (original U.S. release):
Bonus tracks added to reissues:
About the Album: All Music Guide review by Bruce Eder: “If Elvis isn’t quite as important historically as the Elvis Presley album that preceded it, that’s only because it came second – musically, it’s a more confident and bolder work than his debut, and in any other artist’s output it would have been considered a crowning achievement. At the sessions for his first album, the singer and all concerned were treading into unmapped territory and not sure what they were doing or if they were ready for it – by September of 1956, when the three days of sessions behind the Elvis album took place, he was on top, a national phenomenon of a kind that hadn’t been seen in music since Frank Sinatra a dozen years earlier, and he had some more experience recording. And with that confidence came better singing.” “The songs here were, for the most part, material that he knew well, with one new submission by Otis Blackwell. He slides through them seemingly effortlessly, transforming the 1940s country number When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again into a smooth rocker; roaring through the Little Richard numbers Long Tall Sally, Ready Teddy, and Rip It Up; returns to his blues roots with a killer rendition of Arthur Crudup’s I’m So Glad You’re Mine (a leftover, amazingly enough, from his first RCA session); and shows how refined his voice was becoming on the ballad First in Line and the sentimental favorite Old Shep.”
|
For LP Fans Only (archives)Elvis Presley |
|
Recorded: 1954-1957 Released: February 6, 1959 Peak: 19 US Sales (in millions): -- Genre: early rock and roll Rating: 3.968 out of 5.00 (average of 14 ratings)
|
Tracks:
* Appeared on The Sun Sessions. ** Also featured on the reissue of Elvis Presley. *** Also featured on the reissue of Elvis. See those album for details about the songs. About the Album: This archival collection was released while Elvis was serving in the army. It included material from his Sun years and previously released B-sides. |
Loving You (soundtrack)Elvis Presley |
|
Released: July 1, 1957 Peak: 110 US, 13 UK Sales (in millions): 0.5 US Genre: early rock and roll Rating: 3.799 out of 5.00 (average of 15 ratings)
|
|
Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
|
Tracks (original release):
Bonus tracks added to reissues:
About the Album: All Music Guide review by Neal Umphred and Bruce Eder: “Purporting to be the soundtrack to Elvis’ second film, this album collects songs used in the film on one side with new material on the other. The weakness of a couple of the movie tunes and the fact that the new songs were leftovers from the sessions used to produce Elvis’ first gospel EP and latest single add up to his weakest album offering, although any album with Got a Lot O’ Living to Do is alright. If you think of Loving You as simply an Elvis Presley album, rather than a somewhat misleadingly packaged soundtrack, it was actually one of his more coherent and cohesive long-players, assembled from sessions all conducted in the first two months of 1957. By this time, he was doing precious little that was wrong, and his range and control were growing geometrically – thus, amid some powerful rock & roll, including Mean Woman Blues (which could almost have passed for one of his Sun tracks), Teddy Bear, the electric guitar-driven ‘Got a Lot ‘o Livin’ to Do,’ [and] Ivory Joe Hunter’s I Need You So.” On the CD reissue, we also get “a hard, brittle-textured outtake of I Beg of You, the King does some brilliant ballad singing on One Night of Sin and Is It So Strange, and belts out one of his great blues performances on When It Rains, It Really Pours – which boasts a killer Scotty Moore guitar part – and moves into Sons of the Pioneers territory with the hauntingly beautiful Western ballad Lonesome Cowboy. He doesn’t do badly with Blueberry Hill, either.” The CD reissue also included alternate versions of “Party,” “Loving You,” and “Got a Lot O’ Lovin’ to Do.”
|
Elvis’ Christmas AlbumElvis Presley |
|
Released: October 15, 1957 Peak: 14 US Sales (in millions): 9.0 US, -- UK, 25.0 world (includes US + UK) Genre: early rock and roll/Christmas Rating: 3.980 out of 5.00 (average of 20 ratings)
|
Tracks:
About the Album: The last four tracks were originally released on the Peace in the Valley EP in April 1957. Read more on the DMDB page for this album.
|
A Date with Elvis (archives)Elvis Presley |
|
Recorded: 1954-1957 Released: July 24, 1959 Peak: 32 US, 4 UK Sales (in millions): -- Genre: early rock and roll Rating:  3.477 out of 5.00 (average of 14 ratings)
|
Tracks:
* Appeared on The Sun Sessions. ** Also featured on the reissue of Loving You. See those album for details about the songs. About the Album: This was the second archival collection released while Elvis was serving in the army. It included three songs (“Young and Beautiful,” “You’re So Square,” and “I Want to Be Free”) from the Jailhouse Rock EP released in October 1957, cuts from his Sun years, and some unissued material from the vaults. |
Golden Records (compilation)Elvis Presley |
|
Recorded: 1954-1957 Released: March 21, 1958 Peak: 3 US, 2 UK Sales (in millions): 6.0 US, 0.06 UK, 10.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: early rock and roll Rating: 4.709 out of 5.00 (average of 17 ratings)
|
|
Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
|
Tracks: (1) Hound Dog (2) Loving You (3) All Shook Up (4) Heartbreak Hotel (5) Jailhouse Rock (6) Love Me (7) Too Much (8) Don’t Be Cruel (9) That’s When Your Heartache Begins (10) Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear (11) Love Me Tender (12) Treat Me Nice (13) Anyway You Want Me That’s How I Will Be (14) I Want You, I Need You, I Love You Total Running Time: 32:03 Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:
About the Album: “This was rock & roll’s first greatest-hits album, and it set the standard for all others to follow. As originally conceived, it was a 14-song collection of most of the King’s biggest hits up to that time, released on the eve of his start of military service – a dearth of material being in the offing, it seemed only logical to assemble these hits. Each of the 14 songs had earned a gold-record award for a million sales, a record unequaled at that time by anyone else in rock & roll. The album wasn’t intended as a history lesson, so Hound Dog and Loving You precede Heartbreak Hotel – the 1997 remastering also tampers with the concept a bit, adding six bonus tracks.” BE “Elvis’ singing never sounded richer or more expressive, and one can fully appreciate in vivid detail the delicate nuances of his phrasing on songs like Too Much. On the downside, the remastering has made the sound so clean on some of the harder songs that some of the raw, ‘dirty’ ambience that characterized this stuff on the radio and the original 45s is lacking. Still, Scotty Moore’s groundbreaking lead guitar part on ‘Hound Dog’ and the Jordanaires’ backup singing never came through more sharply or cleanly, and the all-important rhythm section is almost up front in the mix.” BE “Those who own the first Elvis box from RCA, covering the ‘50s masters, may hesitate to pick up this or the other parts of this latest remastered series, but the sound has been upgraded one more level, and Golden Hits does give a bite-sized glimpse of where Elvis had come from and where he was going (for better or worse) musically on the eve of heading into the Army.” BE
|
King Creole (soundtrack)Elvis Presley |
|
Released: September 19, 1958 Peak: 2 US, 17 UK Sales (in millions): 0.5 US Genre: early rock and roll Rating: 3.470 out of 5.00 (average of 15 ratings)
|
|
Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
|
Tracks (original release):
Bonus tracks added to reissues:
About the Album: All Music Guide’s review by Bruce Eder: “King Creole was the last movie that Elvis Presley made before he entered the army in the spring of 1958 – it was also his last film in black-and-white, as well as his final effort directed by a serious old-time filmmaker (Michael Curtiz); and, apart from a few isolated, quirky efforts like Flaming Star, Change of Habit, and Charro, this was the last of his serious movies, in which Presley was trying hard, pushing himself as an actor and, really, all through the score, as a musician” (Eder). “This is reflected in the soundtrack, which is one of the stronger film-related releases of his career. The original 11 songs included a hot title track by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller that was a dazzling showcase for Scotty Moore’s and Tiny Timbrell’s guitars as well as Elvis’ intense, exciting lead vocal. Leiber and Stoller’s Trouble and Claude Demetrius’ Hard Headed Woman have Moore’s and Timbrell’s electric guitars competing successfully with a five-man brass and reed section. Even Dixieland Rock, if not up to the level of those other two numbers, features good playing and a strong performance by Presley, and Young Dreams is a decent midtempo number” (Eder). “The slow ballads are where the soundtrack falls flat, As Long As I Have You coming up to standard but Lover Doll and Don’t Ask Me Why failing to excite or maintain interest; Crawfish can only have been included to bring the album up to the minimum acceptable length for an LP” Eder). “The 1997 remastered CD features rather upgraded sound and seven additional numbers that are outtakes from the score; these include two alternate takes of ‘King Creole’ with considerably different guitar and brass parts, and two superior alternate versions of ‘As Long as I Have You,’ both in a much more spare arrangement – basically just Elvis and a single piano accompanying him – plus a discarded alternate title track (Danny). The undubbed ‘Lover Doll’ is superior to the released version, featuring Presley accompanied by a single acoustic guitar. Even with the bonus cuts, this CD only runs 34 minutes and change” (Eder). The CD reissue of this album also included alternate takes of “King Creole,” “As Long As I Have You,” “Lover Doll,” “Steadfast, Loyal, and True,” “As Long As I Have You,” and “King Creole.” |
Golden Records Vol. 2: 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong (compilation)Elvis Presley |
|
Recorded: 1957-1959 Released: November 13, 1959 Peak: 31 US, 4 UK Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, -- UK, 1.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: early rock and roll Rating: 4.037 out of 5.00 (average of 14 ratings)
|
Tracks: (1) I Need Your Love Tonight (2) Don’t (3) Wear My Ring Around Your Neck (4) My Wish Came True (5) I Got Stung (6) One Night (7) A Big Hunk O’ Love (8) I Beg of You (9) Now and Then There’s a Fool Such As I (10) Doncha’ Think It’s Time Total Running Time: 22:00 Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:
About the Album: The initial release of Elvis’ second greatest-hits collection, Gold Records, Volume 2 (also known as 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong), featured singles released in 1958 and 1959 and other material from recording sessions in 1957. A reissue of the album added bonus tracks dating back to 1956. Among the songs were the #1 hits Don’t, Hard Headed Woman, and Big Hunk O’ Love and the top ten hits I Beg of You, Wear My Ring Around Your Neck, I Got Stung, One Night, I Need Your Love Tonight and Now and Then There’s a Fool Such As I.
|
The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll: The ‘50s Masters (box set)Elvis Presley |
|
Recorded: 1953-1958 Released: June 23, 1992 Peak: 159 US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU, 11 DF Sales (in millions): 2.0 US Genre: early rock and roll Rating: 4.740 out of 5.00 (average of 20 ratings)
|
|
Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
|
|
Disc 1: (1) My Happiness (2) That’s All Right, Mama (3) I Love You Because (4) Harbor Lights (5) Blue Moon of Kentucky (6) Blue Moon (7) Tomorrow Night (8) I’ll Never Let You Go (9) I Don’t Care if the Sun Don’t Shine (10) Just Because (11) Good Rockin’ Tonight (12) Milkcow Blues Boogie (13) You’re a Heartbreaker (14) Baby Let’s Play House (15) I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (16) Mystery Train (17) I Forgot to Remember to Forget (18) Trying to Get to You (19) When It Rains, It Really Pours (20 I Got a Woman (21) Heartbreak Hotel (22) Money Honey (23) I’m Counting on You (24) I Was the One (25) Blue Suede Shoes (26) My Baby Left Me (27) One-Sided Love Affair (28) So Glad You're Mine (29) I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry Over You (30) Tutti Frutti Disc 2: (1) Lawdy Miss Clawdy (2) Shake, Rattle And Roll (3) I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (4) Hound Dog (5) Don’t Be Cruel (6) Any Way You Want Me (7) We’re Gonna Move (8) Love Me Tender (9) Poor Boy (10) Let Me (11) Playing for Keeps (12) Love Me (13) Paralyzed (14) How Do You Think I Feel (15) How’s the World Treating You (16) When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again (17) Long Tall Sally (18) Old Shep (19) Too Much (20) Anyplace Is Paradise (21) Ready Teddy (22) First In Line (23) Rip It Up (24) I Believe (25) Tell Me Why (26) Got a Lot O’ Livin’ to Do (27) All Shook Up (28) Mean Woman Blues (29) There’ll Be Peace in the Valley for Me Disc 3: (1) That’s When Your Heartaches Begin (2) Take My Hand, Precious Lord (3) It Is No Secret What God Can Do (4) Blueberry Hill (5) Have I Told You Lately That I Love You (6) Is It So Strange (7) Party (8) Lonesome Cowboy (9) Hot Dog (10) One Night of Sin (11) Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear (12) Don’t Leave Me Now (13) I Beg of You (14) One Night with You (15) True Love (16) I Need You So (17) Loving You (18) When It Rains, It Really Pours (19) Jailhouse Rock (20) Young and Beautiful (21) I Want to Be Free (22) You’re So Square, Baby I Don't Care (23) Don’t Leave Me Now (24) Blue Christmas (25) White Christmas (26) Here Comes Santa Claus (27) Silent Night (28) Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem (29) Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me (30) Santa Claus Is Back in Town (31) I’ll Be Home for Christmas Disc 4: (1) Treat Me Nice (2) My Wish Came True (3) Don’t (4) Danny (5) Hard Headed Woman (6) Trouble (7) New Orleans (8) Crawfish (9) Dixieland Rock (10) Lover Doll (11) Don’t Ask Me Why (12) As Long As I Have You (13) King Creole (14) Young Dreams (15) Steadfast, Loyal and True (16) Doncha Think It’s Time (17) Your Cheatin’ Heart (18) Wear My Ring Around Your Neck (19) I Need Your Love Tonight (20) A Big Hunk O’ Love (21) Ain’t That Loving You Baby (22) Now and Then There’s a Fool Such As I (23) I Got Stung (24) Interview with Elvis Disc 5: (1) That’s When Your Heartaches Begin (2) Fool, Fool, Fool (3) Tweedle Dee (live) (4) Maybellene (live) (5) Shake, Rattle, and Roll (alternate) (6) Blue Moon of Kentucky (alternate) (7) Blue Moon (alternate) (8) I’m Left, You’re Right, She's Gone (alternate) (9) Reconsider Baby (10) Lawdy, Miss Clawdy (Alternate) (11) Shake, Rattle, and Roll (alternate) (12) I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (alternate Take) (13) Heartbreak Hotel (live) (14) Long Tall Sally (live) (15) Blue Suede Shoes (live) (16) Money Honey (live) (17) We’re Gonna Move (alternate) (18) Old Shep (alternate) (19) I Beg of You (alternate) (20) Loving You (slow version) (21) Loving You (uptempo version) (22) Young and Beautiful (alternate) (23) I Want to Be Free (alternate) (24) King Creole (alternate) (25) As Long As I Have You (alternate) (26) Ain't That Loving You Baby (fast version - take 11) Total Running Time: 5:39:29 Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:
About the Album: This box set collected all of Elvis’ recordings from the 1950s, which included the albums The Sun Sessions, Elvis Presley, Elvis, Loving You, Christmas Album, and King Creole in their entirety. All of those cuts are listed above over the course of the page. Additional tracks, mostly from the fifth disc of the collection, are indicated below. In addition, all the songs featured on Elvis’ first two greatest-hits compilations, Golden Records and 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Gold Records Vol. 2, are included on this set. |
Resources and Related Links:
Last updated 11/26/2023. |
No comments:
Post a Comment